RICHMOND (WINA) -“Don’t let what happened to my beautiful daughter Hannah happen to another young woman in Virginia”. Those words from slain UVa student Hannah Graham’s mom, Susan, about a bill in the Senate Courts of Justice Committee expanding DNA collection in Virginia. The committee advance the bill to the Senate Finance Committee, because enhanced DNA database collection has a price tag — and that money committee has to determine how much it is, and whether it can be done within budget.
Graham’s parents made the trip to Richmond, once again, in the company of Albemarle County Sheriff Chip Harding and Commonwealth’s Attorney Robert Tracci. The same crew had spoken to the the Virginia State Crime Commission, which unanimously approved the DNA database expansion to include collection of DNA from certain misdemeanors. She told the committee Jesse Matthew was convicted of criminal trespass in 2010… a misdemeanor. She posits had samples been collected at that time, he would have been connected to both a Fairfax City rape and attempted murder in 2005, and the 2009 murder of Morgan Harrington. Thus, she says he would have been in jail and not abducting and killing her daughter in 2014.
Virginia ACLU Director Claire Gastanaga spoke against the bill saying numbers show expanding a DNA database does not result in more hits. She also argues a disproportionate number of persons of color being arrested and convicted of crimes will result in too many persons of color giving DNA samples. She is also concerned about privacy issues involved with increased DNA collection.
